The Cowgirl's Secret (The Diamondback Ranch Series #) Read online

  "Aye, aye, captain."

  "Don't be cute."

  She scrunched her nose at him. "I can't help myself."

  "Just get in the damn car."

  Tori sat behind the steering wheel as Sam maneuvered his convertible near the front of the car. He grabbed a set of jumper cables and hooked them to both batteries.

  "Okay. Try to start it," he said, wiping his hands on the handkerchief again.

  When she turned the key, nothing happened. She got out and waited. "Well?"

  "We're going to have to go buy a new battery." He unclamped the cables and tossed them in his trunk. "Then I'll replace it."

  She looked around the empty parking lot and frowned. "You'll replace it right here?"

  "Sure, why not?"

  "Oh, I don't know," she said with a shrug. "I thought we'd have to haul it to a garage or your house or something."

  "You're forgetting about Sam's Roadside Assistance. Lock up your car and ride with me."

  Tori frowned. "Why don't I just wait for you here?"

  It was Sam's turn to look around the parking lot. "I'd rather you not wait alone in this neighborhood at this time of night. Humor me, babe."

  "Oh, all right." Tori sighed. "If it makes you feel all macho and manly and protective, who am I to complain?"

  "There you go again, stomping on my ego. You'd think with four brothers, you'd give a guy a little slack."

  "Are you kidding? All my life, I've constantly battled huge doses of testosterone that threatened to smother me in brotherly love. I couldn't afford being mealy mouthed growing up."

  "Okay, okay. I stand corrected. Grab your bag, and let's get this show on the road."

  After they bought the battery and Sam put it in place, he followed her home, where they ate peanut butter and crackers and made love well into the early hours of the next morning.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The autumn days flew by. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, until the holidays loomed on the near horizon. Tori had never been happier in her entire life. She'd never really had a steady boyfriend before, so the experience of sharing her life with someone was unique and exciting. And she certainly had never been involved in a torrid love affair with an older man. That was more than exciting; that was awesome.

  Sam was everything she'd ever dreamed a man could or should be.

  The only shadow on her otherwise sunny existence was the fact that for some reason, she hadn't told her family about him. She didn't know why exactly. She told herself it was because she wanted to hold the secret close to her heart. She didn't want to share any part of her relationship with Sam with anyone.

  Or maybe it was because she wasn't ready to totally commit. She had four, maybe five, more years of school left, and that wasn't counting finishing up here at UTD. She really couldn't afford to be distracted. Or to fall in love.

  Except it was too late for that. She had definitely fallen in love with Sam.

  Of course, she hadn't confessed her feelings to him yet. Then again, he hadn't spoken of love or commitment either. He was busy with his mother, driving her to chemotherapy and tests and check-ups.

  Whenever possible, they'd steal away to spend an afternoon or evening together. The look in Sam's eyes and the eagerness of his lovemaking spoke louder than words. His actions had to count for something, right?

  There was another secret she kept close to her heart. Another shadow hanging over her. Tori's grades had slipped this past semester and if she weren't careful, she might lose her chance for a fellowship at Texas A&M. Instead of making the Dean's List as usual, Tori barely squeaked by in two of her classes with a low C average. She really needed to crack down on the books next semester and not let herself get distracted.

  She shook her head. There was no getting around it though; Sam was a definite distraction. Yet whenever she thought about breaking it off with him, she could never find the strength to do it. He'd said he didn't want a complicated relationship. He'd said they'd keep it simple.

  Uncomplicated and simple meant short-term fun, no falling in love, no long-term commitment.

  Boy, she'd really screwed it up this time. After she graduated, if Sam still wanted simple and uncomplicated, that would mean they'd have to part ways. Only, how was she supposed to survive without Sam in her life? It was too horrible to contemplate.

  Even if he did change his mind, Tori didn't see how they could make a relationship work with him in Dallas and her in College Station. Long-distance relationships took a lot of energy, effort and time. And all of her energy, effort and time would need to be focused on getting her degree.

  Tori sighed. It was a complex conundrum with no simple solution. Thankfully, there was still a little time to sort it out. One way or another.

  ***

  A week before Tori was scheduled to leave for the Diamondback Ranch to spend Christmas with her family, Sam invited her to meet his mother and eat a holiday meal with them.

  "Mom's been after me to have you over, and I'd really like for you to meet her."

  Neither had to say that his mother didn't have much time left. The shadows in his brown eyes told their own story. Tori felt so helpless. She didn't know what to do or say or how to comfort him. For the most part, they skirted the issue of his mom and her illness.

  Tori pasted a bright smile on her face. "I'd love to meet her. But is your mother up to cooking a holiday meal?"

  Sam's dark brows slanted in a frown. "No, and she's pretty upset that she's unable to make the Christmas tamales this year. Luckily, there's a little shop not far from the house that makes pretty good ones. I'll be doing the rest of the cooking. I make a pretty mean enchilada, let me tell you. You'll think you've died and gone to heaven."

  Sometimes, Tori thought she was already experiencing a little bit of heaven every time she and Sam made love. Nothing had ever felt so perfect. So good. So right.

  "I've never had homemade enchiladas," she said. "Another hidden talent you've kept from me?"

  He threw his arm over her shoulder and hugged her close. "Are you impressed?"

  She tried to ignore the sensual tingles ignited by Sam's touch. "I'll reserve judgement until after I taste them. Can I bring anything?"

  "Just your appetite. Well, maybe a dessert."

  "I can do that." She thought for a minute, leaning her head against his shoulder. She felt him kiss the top of her head and her heart squeezed tight. "Does your mother like chocolate?"

  "What woman doesn't?" Sam said with a snort.

  "Hey now." Tori's head snapped up. She pursed her lips and gave him her best blasting stare. "That's a sexist remark if ever I heard one."

  "What can I say? I'm a sexy kind of man." Sam's gaze held hers and she felt the impact even when he was teasing her.

  "Sexist, mister. I said sexist." She punched his chest with a finger, then changed course and draped her arms around his neck. "Although . . . you're pretty darn sexy, too."

  Sam pulled her close, flush with his hard body. His voice was low, intimate. "You're pretty damn sexy yourself, sweetheart." He bent to take her mouth in a hungry kiss. Tori melted in his embrace. It was always like this when she and Sam were together.

  After a delicious moment, she pulled back, but kept her arms on his shoulders. "Seriously, does your mother like chocolate or not?"

  "She loves it," he said, trying to capture her lips again. "She's pretty much a chocoholic."

  Tori smiled. "Then I know the perfect dessert to bring."

  "Great. Enough with the talking, babe." He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to bed.

  She laughed and gave herself up to the pleasures of Sam.

  ***

  Sam had never had Tori over to his mom's house for reasons that even now eluded him. Since he'd come home, he'd protected and guarded his mother from everything and everyone outside their small circle. He'd kept his relationship with Tori quite separate from his life with his mother.

  When he was with Tori, he didn't hav
e to think about how sick his mom actually was, how imminent her death. How alone he would be without both his parents. He'd be an orphan, damn it. A thirty-one-year-old goddamned orphan.

  Life really sucked sometimes.

  As the holiday season descended upon them, Mary Garza had insisted on meeting Sammy's girl. Sammy's Tori.

  And so the dinner invitation had been issued, and Sam found himself looking forward to the two most important women in his life finally meeting each other. He loved his mother dearly. And he couldn't deny it any longer . . . he loved Tori McCade to distraction.

  They'd agreed that she'd drive over to the house since Sam would be busy cooking. After dinner and after his mother went to bed, he had something special planned. He glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. Where the hell was she?

  He was rolling the corn tortillas, stuffing them with shredded cheese. The homemade enchilada sauce simmered on the stove, and the tamales were warming in the slow cooker. He had a pot of pinto beans on the back burner keeping warm, and he'd make the Spanish rice after he stuck the pan of enchiladas in the oven. Everything was moving right along.

  All except for Tori. It wasn't like her to be late. She was usually very punctual. He hoped she was okay. Of course, she was okay. Any number of things could have occurred to hold her up. None of them necessarily bad.

  She was baking some kind of fabulous chocolate dessert for his mother; she hadn't elaborated, she'd only shaken her head when he'd asked her about it, her sapphire eyes twinkling with mischief. Maybe she'd run into a snag with the dessert. He'd never known Tori to be much of a cook, but hell, it wasn't her cooking abilities that interested him, not by a long shot.

  "So when will Tori be here? I'm dying to meet her." His mother sat down at the table across from him. She'd made an extra effort to dress up, choosing a soft gray sweater and black slacks. She looked nice. Only Sam didn't like the dark circles below her tired brown eyes, or the turban she wore to cover her head--both courtesy of all those chemo treatments.

  "Soon, Mom. She'll be here soon. If she's not here in five minutes, I'll call her."

  His cell phone buzzed and he grabbed it from the counter behind him. "See? That's her now. Hey babe, where are you?"

  "I'm sorry. I'm running late. I . . . uh . . . I found this poor little dog sitting on the side of the road, and I can't take him to the shelter because it's on the other side of town and I couldn't leave him there, it was a busy street, he might have gotten run over. And he's all wet and cold from the snow." She paused for breath. "You know how I'm a sucker for strays. Do you mind if I bring him to your house? I'll take him to the shelter after we eat dinner."

  "No problem. We can put him in the back yard."

  "Thanks, Sam. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

  Sam ended the call, tossed the phone back on the counter, and resumed rolling the cheese and tortillas for the enchiladas.

  "Well?" His mother gazed at him with a smile on her lips and curiosity rampant in her eyes. "Who or what are you going to put in the back yard?"

  Sam grinned. "You know Tori is studying to be a vet. Or she will be studying to be a vet next year. She rescued a dog on the way over here. What could I say? I hope you don't mind if she brings it over."

  Mary Garza nodded. "Of course, I don't mind. When I was growing up, we used to have dogs. But with your dad being a mailman, he wasn't too crazy about them . . . that's the reason we never had one."

  Sam went to the stove to stir the sauce. "No, we only had cats, gerbils and hamsters."

  His mom smiled. "And don't forget Peter."

  "Oh yeah, the rabbit." He adjusted the heat beneath the enchilada sauce.

  "You loved that rabbit. You were such an adorable little boy." Her smile wobbled. Sam hoped she wouldn't start to cry. She'd become very melancholy and nostalgic over the last couple of weeks, recalling past events, reliving old memories. "Have I told you lately how proud I am of you, mijo? How much I love you?"

  Sam sat back down at the table and bent his head over the enchilada pan. "I love you, too, Mom." Before they could get all maudlin over each other, a car door slammed out front.

  Thank you, God.

  Mary sniffed into a tissue. "Sounds like your girl is here."

  "Sounds like it. I'll go help her with that dog." Shoving back his chair, Sam stood again and made for the door, glad of the respite. Too many messy emotions hovering around the kitchen and his mom.

  He stopped at the door, before throwing it open. Tori was the first white girl he'd brought home to meet his mother. If he were honest with himself, he was feeling a little nervous about the introductions, hoping his mother and Tori would hit it off.

  Oh, yeah. Too many emotions. Way too many.

  ***

  Tori couldn't believe she was bringing a rescue dog on the first visit to Sam's house to meet his mother. Was she crazy? What kind of impression would that make?

  Oh well. It was too late now. She opened the back door of the car and grabbed the leash she'd fastened around the dog's neck. There was no collar naturally. Good thing she always carried one of those slip leashes in the car. Just in case.

  She was the hopeless case. She seemed to be a magnet for dumped dogs. This had to be the sixth or seventh one she'd rescued in that many months or less. And the thing of it was, no pets were allowed in her apartment building. Rescuing dogs added a lot of stress to her already hectic life.

  The front door opened and out walked Sam, looking handsome in jeans and a long-sleeved thermal shirt hanging loose over his straight hips, the sleeves pushed up over his elbows. He had a long easy stride, and his smile made her heart thump madly in her chest.

  "Hey babe." He stopped on the other side of the opened car door and looked inside. "So this is the lucky little mutt you rescued, huh?"

  "Yes, except he doesn't want to get out of the car." Tori leaned into the backseat to pet the trembling dog. "It's okay, boy. You're safe now." She tugged gently on the leash. "Come on, buddy."

  "Why don't you let me try?" Sam stepped around the car door and took the leash from Tori's hand. He gave her a quick hard kiss that sent lightning bolts down to her toes.

  She stepped back and watched him coax the dog from the car. After several minutes of gentle persuasion, the small dog jumped to the ground and immediately tried to make off down the sidewalk, tugging at the leash, almost choking himself in the process.

  "Whoa there, buddy!" Sam pulled the leash, reining in the dog's attempted escape.

  "Here, I've got it now. Thanks." Tori took the leash and stooped to rub the dog's back, trying to soothe his fears. The frightened animal seemed to relax a bit, going so far as to lick Tori's hand.

  "Aww, he's giving me puppy kisses. What a sweet little dog you are." Tori straightened from her crouch and led the dog up the walk to the front door and waited for Sam to open it for her.

  "We'll take him to the backyard through the kitchen," he said, closing the door behind them. "He should be safe enough there. The kitchen's right through that hall."

  Tori stepped into the large cozy room and stopped short when she saw Sam's mother sitting at the table. She walked toward the woman, dragging the dog with her and held out one hand. "Hello, I'm Tori. It's good to finally meet you. I'm so sorry to foist this poor little dog on you. But what could I do? He would have gotten run over if I'd left him on the side of the road."

  "Not a problem, dear. I love dogs. Hola, precioso perrito!" She bent down and rubbed the dog's neck and scratched behind his floppy ears. The little dog plumped down on his rump and wagged his bedraggled tail. Mary Garza laughed and continued petting the dog. "You're a handsome puppy, aren't you?"

  Tori turned wide astonished eyes at Sam. He shrugged.

  His mother looked up at them both. "What kind of dog do you think he is?"

  Tori shook her head. "I'm not sure. Maybe one part terrier, three parts mutt?"

  "He's such a sweet little thing. Yes, you are," Mary crooned to the dog. "Why don't we give h
im some water? And Sammy, do we have anything he could eat? The poor little thing looks starved to death."

  Sam went to the refrigerator and opened it. "I'll give him some of the fajitas we had last night. Tori, why don't you go ahead and take him outside. I'll bring the food and water, and we'll get him settled."

  Mary sat up straight and shook her head. "No, no, no. It's too cold outside. He can stay in the house where it's nice and warm. Hand me a towel, and I'll dry him off."

  "Mom, you don't really want that dog in the house, do you?" Sam frowned at the small mongrel sitting near his mother's feet.

  "He's right, Mrs. Garza," Tori said. "I wouldn't want to impose like that. He'll be fine outdoors."

  "Nonsense; I insist. And call me Mary, dear. I believe you and I are destined to be good friends. You know what they say? God works in mysterious ways. And I think He has been very, very busy today."

  ***

  "Tori, the chocolate cake is wonderful." Mary Garza patted her mouth with her napkin. "If you don't mind, I'll have another slice, por favor." She held out her plate and smiled.

  "I'm so glad you like it." Tori cut a nice big piece and eased it onto Mary's dessert plate. "It's a chocolate lover's dream come true, isn't it?"

  Mary took a bite and pointed her fork at Tori. "Yes. Delicioso!"

  "While you ladies enjoy your chocolate fix, I'll start the dishes." Sam shoved back his chair and began stacking plates.

  "Oh, no you don't, mister." Tori jumped up from the table. "I'll wash the dishes. You cooked dinner, so it's only fair that I clean up."

  Mary laughed. "This girl's a keeper, Sammy. You must do whatever it takes so she won't get away." She ate another bite of the cake and closed her eyes on a sigh.

  Sam snagged Tori's gaze and smiled that lethal smile she was coming to know so well. "You might be on to something there, Mama. She just might be a keeper."

  Tori quickly turned toward the counter and opened the dishwasher, trying to catch the breath lodged in her throat. Watching Sam's interaction with his mother who was so very ill made her heart squeeze painfully in her chest. He was all tenderness and consideration. The more she saw of him, the deeper she fell in love.